乱来 (luàn lái) — to act recklessly; to mess around (in an improper or irresponsible way)

Definition

乱来 means to act wildly or irresponsibly, ignoring rules or good sense. It often carries a warning tone — 别乱来 ('don't mess around') — unlike simply doing something wrong, it implies stubborn disregard for advice.

verb
to act recklesslyto mess around (in an improper or irresponsible way)

Examples

  • ，乱来。
    Tā gēn běn bù tīng quàn, hái shì zài luàn lái.
    He doesn't listen to advice at all and is still acting recklessly.
  • ，乱来。
    Zhè shì hěn zhòng yào, nǐ kě bié luàn lái.
    This matter is very important; don't mess around.
  • ，乱来。
    Lǐng dǎo zài de shí hou, tā men bù gǎn luàn lái.
    When the boss is around, they don't dare to act recklessly.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
偏正piānzhèngModifier + head

The first part narrows down the second: it says what kind of thing the head is.

乱luàndisorderly
来láido

乱 'disorderly' plus 来 'do' describes acting in a reckless, messy way.

Characters in this word

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 亂; 乱 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
乚Written in full as乙yǐ
Sound part声符shēngfú
𤔔
𤔔𤔔亂luàn
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 亂 contains 𤔔, a drawing of combing tangled threads, and 乙; the simplified 乱 is only a later shorthand, not the historical shape.

Open 乱 →

A drawing of the thing itself, worn down over three thousand years into a few strokes.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 來; 来 is its simplified writing.

The traditional form 來 shows a wheat plant: a central ear, upward leaves, and downward stem and roots. The simplified 来 is a later shorthand.

Open 来 →

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